The CoC Source - March 31, 2011(Print All Articles)

90 Cancer Care Facilities Receive National Achievement Award

The CoC of the American College of Surgeons has granted its Outstanding Achievement Award to a select group of 90 currently accredited and newly accredited cancer programs across the United States.

Established in 2004, the CoC Outstanding Achievement Award (OAA) recognizes cancer programs that strive for excellence in providing quality care to cancer patients. The award is granted to facilities that demonstrate a Commendation level of compliance with seven standards that represent six areas of cancer program activity: cancer committee leadership, cancer data management, clinical management, research, community outreach, and quality improvement. The level of compliance with the seven standards is determined during an onsite evaluation by a physician surveyor. In addition, facilities must receive a compliance rating for the remaining 29 cancer program standards. Ninety programs received the OAA as a result of surveys performed in 2010. This number represents approximately 17 percent of programs surveyed during this period. A majority of recipients are community-based facilities; however, there were also teaching hospitals, NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, Pediatric, and Network Cancer Programs that received the award.

2010 CoC Outstanding Achievement Award Recipients

Alabama
Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center
Anniston, AL

St. Vincent’s East
Birmingham, AL

California
Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian
Newport Beach, CA

Naval Medical Center San Diego
San Diego, CA

Good Samaritan Hospital
San Jose, CA

Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital
Whittier, CA

Colorado
Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center
Denver, CO

Connecticut
MidState Medical Center
Meriden, CT

Stamford Hospital
Stamford, CT

District of Columbia
George Washington University Hospital
Washington, DC

Florida
Nemours Children’s Clinic
Jacksonville, FL

Georgia
Northside Hospital
Atlanta, GA

Illinois
OSF St. Joseph Medical Center
Bloomington, IL

Centegra Hospital – McHenry
McHenry, IL

Good Samaritan Regional Health Center
Mount Vernon, IL

BroMenn Regional Medical Center
Normal, IL

St. John’s Hospital
Springfield, IL

Centegra Hospital – Woodstock
Woodstock, IL

Indiana
Elkhart General Hospital
Elkhart, IN

Lutheran Hospital of Indiana
Fort Wayne, IN

Morgan Hospital and Medical Center
Martinsville, IN

Schneck Medical Center
Seymour, IN

Good Samaritan Hospital
Vincennes, IN

Kentucky
St. Elizabeth Edgewood
Edgewood, KY

St. Elizabeth Fort Thomas
Fort Thomas, KY

Western Baptist Hospital
Paducah, KY

Louisiana
Children’s Hospital
New Orleans, LA

Maine
Maine Medical Center
Portland, ME

Massachusetts
Good Samaritan Medical Center
Brockton, MA

Lowell General Hospital
Lowell, MA

Mercy Medical Center
Springfield, MA

Michigan
Bixby Medical Center
Adrian, MI

Hurley Medical Center
Flint, MI

St. Mary’s of Michigan
Saginaw, MI

Lakeland Health Care
St. Joseph, MI

Minnesota
Abbott Northwestern Hospital
Minneapolis, MN

St. Cloud Hospital-Coborn Cancer Center
St. Cloud, MN

United Hospital
St. Paul, MN

Missouri
Audrain Medical Center
Mexico, MO

Nebraska
St. Francis Medical Center
Grand Island, NE

Regional West Medical Center
Scottsbluff, NE

New Jersey
Virtua Health
Marlton, NJ

Overlook Hospital
Summit, NJ

New York
VA New York Harbor Healthcare System
Brooklyn, NY

Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Buffalo, NY

New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens
Flushing, NY

United Health Services Hospitals
Johnson City, NY

North Shore University Hospital
Manhasset, NY

Mercy Medical Center
Rockville Centre, NY

North Carolina
Randolph Hospital
Asheboro, NC

Alamance Regional Medical Center
Burlington, NC

Carolinas Healthcare System
Charlotte, NC

Pitt County Memorial Hospital
Greenville, NC

North Dakota
VA Medical Center and Regional Office Center
Fargo, ND

Ohio
Grant Medical Center
Columbus, OH

Genesis Healthcare System
Zanesville, OH

Oklahoma
Southwestern Regional Medical Center
Tulsa, OK

Oregon
Legacy Health System
Portland, OR

Pennsylvania
St. Luke’s Hospital and Health Network
Bethlehem, PA

Rhode Island
Rhode Island Hospital
Providence, RI

The Miriam Hospital
Providence, RI

Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island
Providence, RI

South Carolina
Palmetto Health Cancer Centers
Columbia, SC

Avera St. Luke’s Hospital
Aberdeen, SD

Tennessee
Summit Medical Center
Hermitage, TN

Middle Tennessee Medical Center
Murfreesboro, TN

Texas
Scott and White Memorial Hospital
Temple, TX

Virginia
Inova Fairfax Hospital
Falls Church, VA

Carillion Health System
Roanoke, VA

Washington
Highline Medical Center
Burien, WA

West Virginia
WVUH East – City Hospital
Martinsburg, WV

Wisconsin
Sacred Heart Hospital
Eau Claire, WI

St. Joseph’s Hospital/Marshfield Clinic
Marshfield, WI

Community Memorial Hospital
Menomonee Falls, WI

Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital
Milwaukee, WI

Aurora Sheboygan Memorial Medical Center
Sheboygan, WI

ProHealth Care, Inc.
Waukesha, WI

2010 CoC New Program Outstanding Achievement Award Recipients

Georgia
Grady Memorial Hospital
Atlanta, GA

Hawaii
Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children
Honolulu, HI

Indiana
Indiana University Health West Hospital
Avon, IN

Iowa
St. Luke’s Hospital
Cedar Rapids, IA

New Hampshire
Portsmouth Regional Hospital
Portsmouth, NH

Louisiana
Willis-Knighton Medical Center
Shreveport, LA

Ohio
Wayne HealthCare
Greenville, OH

Oklahoma
VA Medical Center
Oklahoma City, OK

South Carolina
Beaufort Memorial Hospital
Beaufort, SC

Texas
Baylor Regional Medical Center
Plano, TX

Virginia
Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center
Midlothian, VA

West Virginia
Davis Memorial Hospital
Elkins, WV

Wisconsin
Columbia St. Mary’s Ozaukee Campus
Mequon, WI

FIPS Level II Data: Cases Reported to the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) by Site and Stage

In the February Flash, the CoC announced that the Facility Information Profile System (FIPS) Level II Data: Cases Reported to the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) by Site and Stage would be posted in March. However, due to the resubmission due date of March 31 for corrected 2009 data originally reported to the NCDB in January, 2011, the FIPS Level II data tables will now be posted in mid-April.

All CoC-accredited cancer programs will be notified by e-mail in April, 2011, when the 2009 FIPS Level II data is available for review and release.

If you have questions e-mail CoC@facs.org or call 312-202-5085.

New CoC Website Coming Soon

The CoC’s website is being redesigned to provide a more streamlined look, greater functionality, and easier navigation. This redesign is part of an organization-wide website redesign launched by the American College of Surgeons. All of the College’s websites, including quality improvement program websites such as the CoC’s, will have a new look and feel that more clearly identifies the program’s relationship with the College. The new CoC website will launch during the week of April 4, and all remaining College program sites will launch throughout early spring. The CoC site will then go through a fine tuning with new pages added over the course of the next few months to enhance the resources available on the site. As a reminder, existing URLs for your bookmarked pages will change, so be sure to visit the new site, re-bookmark your favorite items, and explore other new and enhanced resource pages.

ACoS Advocates for Cancer Appropriations

On March 2, American College of Surgeons (ACoS) advocacy staff participated in a day of Capitol Hill visits organized by One Voice Against Cancer (OVAC). OVAC is a coalition of more than 40 organizations, including the ACoS, with the shared goal of improving cancer care in the U.S. through increased federal appropriations. Approximately 30 Washington-based congressional affairs professionals from several organizations visited 50 House and Senate offices to discuss the importance of federal funding for cancer research, prevention, early detection, and improved quality of care. A current short-term measure, which passed both the U.S. House and Senate and was signed into law on March 2, funds these programs at fiscal year (FY) 2010 levels, but expires on March 18. The full-year continuing resolution that the House recently passed would cut billions of dollars from the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Administration in the current fiscal year (FY 2011) which began October 1, 2010. This legislation, which the Senate has not yet considered, also would completely eliminate funding for the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Patient Navigator Program. For more information on the coalition, including a list of members and a chart of supported programs, click here.

CAnswer Forum In it to Win it! – Read About Our Special April Prize!

Congratulations to our CAnswer Forum March contest winners – Carla Taylor from Scottsdale, AZ and Erin Salmon from Liberty, MO! Carla and Erin have their choice of either a free CoC Webinar for 2011 or an AJCC Cancer Staging Manual, 7th edition, autographed by the editor.

We will continue to sponsor the CAnswer Forum In it To Win It contest for the month of April as we recognize National Cancer Registrars Week. One winner will be selected to receive a free registration to the Survey Savvy program to be held in Hollywood, CA, September 15-16, 2011. This prize does not include travel and accommodations. The winner will be announced during the National Cancer Registrars Association Annual Conference in Orlando, FL (winner need not be present).

If you are not already a registered user of the CAnswer Forum, go to: http://cancerbulletin.facs.org/forums/, register today, and start answering questions. The more questions you answer the better your chances of winning this special prize. Remember…You have to be In It To Win It!

Best Practice Repository - Promoting Your CoC Accreditation

The CoC is adding a new section to the Best Practice Repository titled Cancer Program Promotion. We ask our constituents to share examples of how their program promotes their CoC accreditation, for example, newspaper ads or annual reports.

If you have examples to share, e-mail your electronic versions to detheridge@facs.org. If your example is selected for posting in the Best Practice Repository on our web page, we will contact you for written authorization to use the material.

Improving SAR Resources

The Survey Application Record (SAR) Instruction Guide included instructions on how to navigate through the SAR. Because SAR navigation is familiar to most users, the document is less relevant now and this has been removed from the Accreditation web page (http://www.facs.org/cancer/coc/surveyresources.html).

The SAR Instruction Guide label has been renamed ‘SAR Reference Guides’ to better describe the documents associated with the SAR. The following updated documents are provided to assist with SAR completion and questions:
• 2011 Pre-Survey Uploaded Documentation—documents that must be uploaded two weeks before survey
• 2011 SAR Tips Sheet—information on completing the SAR
• 2011 SAR Documentation FAQ—questions regarding the uploading of documents for survey

This change has also been made to the Commission on Cancer Datalinks Activity Menu and the SAR menu which also provide access to all of these documents.

Nominate Your Cancer Liaison Physician – Deadline Extended to May 1

Administered by the Committee on Cancer Liaison, the Cancer Liaison Physician (CLP) Awards Program serves to recognize outstanding clinical champions who go above and beyond to make a positive impact on their cancer program and/or the community. The CoC is accepting nominations for outstanding CLP performance exhibited during the calendar year 2010. We encourage hospital cancer programs to consider nominating their Cancer Liaison Physician who has exceeded expectations to make the program a success. The nomination deadline has been extended to May 1, 2011.

Cancer program staff, State Chairs, and American Cancer Society staff may nominate a CLP for excellence in one or more of the following areas:

• Developed and/or implemented an idea(s) that improved quality of care at a facility.
• Significantly contributed to the approval status of the cancer program.
• Worked above and beyond normal CLP expectations to strengthen the cancer program.
• Demonstrated leadership and support for cancer control activities in the community and with the ACS.
• Served as a role model for other staff and exhibited characteristics that distinguish the physician as a champion for the cancer program.

All nominations must be verified and supported by the cancer committee chair of the CoC-accredited cancer program. The CoC will also request the support of the CLPs’ CoC State Chair and local American Cancer Society staff once all nominations are compiled.

If you have questions, contact Carolyn Jones, Cancer Liaison Program Coordinator, at cjones@facs.org.

NOTE: A minimum of one year of the CLP term (three years) must be completed for eligibility. A CLP is allowed to receive this award only once per three-year term.

Introducing New State Chairs

State Chairs provide leadership to Cancer Liaison Physicians within their state. They are nominated by the state chapters of the American College of Surgeons and appointed to a three-year term by the Committee on Cancer Liaison. The Commission on Cancer introduces the following new state chair(s):

Helen Krontiras, MD
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, AL

Paul Hansen, MD, FACS
Providence Portland Medical Center
Portland, OR

Hints for May’s NCDB Data Submission

Cases diagnosed in 2004 and 2007 must be submitted to the National Cancer Data Base during May. Cases to be submitted are analytic cases (Class of Case 00-22) diagnosed on or after the facility’s Reference Date only. 2004 diagnoses meeting those criteria that were changed by the registry on or after July 1, 2005, and 2007 diagnoses changed on or after July 1, 2008, must be submitted before midnight (CDT), on Tuesday, May 31, for compliance with Standard 3.6. The full schedule is posted on NCDB’s registrars page at http://www.facs.org/cancer/ncdb/registrars.html.

Corrections to cases diagnosed in 2003, 2008 and 2009 must also be submitted by May 31 for compliance with Standard 3.7. Corrections to cases diagnosed in 1998 are welcome.

The NCDB submission window will be closed during the month of April for processing.

The NCDB Data Submissions Reports for 2011 will be updated by April 8 to reflect submissions made during March. Please check carefully for outstanding problems that need correction, or for any unexpected results. Examples of recent problems are described below. Direct any questions to ncdb@facs.org.

Are you a registrar who works for more than one CoC program? Registrars who work for more than one Commission on Cancer (CoC) program, other than multiple hospitals in a single network or multiple campuses in a merged hospital, should watch the drop down box when they sign in to submit cases. The Facility Identification Number (FIN) in that box must match the program whose data are being submitted, and must be changed between files if submitting for more than one program at a time. (Click ok) If it does not match, the data will not be processed. This is a security feature in NCDB’s automated processing stream that prevents writing data to the wrong program’s records. The restriction does not apply to hospitals in a single network program or multiple campuses in a single merged program. If you submitted files in January or March that have not yet been written to the NCDB database, contact NCDB at ncdb@facs.org for assistance.

Do you really, really like that “enter” key on your keyboard? Three programs this year contacted NCDB when only a handful of cases were processed, but much larger files were submitted. The problem in each situation was that the person who entered occupation and industry in the registry record used the “enter” (or “return”) key within the text. Although GenEDITS Plus does not read that as an error situation, most file readers including the ones used by NCDB respond to the carriage return signal by going to the next line. That immediately notifies the computer that the rest of the file is not a standard data file, and nothing else is read. To avoid the problem in the future, avoid hitting the “enter” key to get around in a text field. If you submitted a file in January or March that appears not to have been fully processed, contact NCDB at ncdb@facs.org for assistance.

Final reminders. Submit your files early in May if you are ready. If you generated your 2004 or 2007 file before April 1, recreate it. 2004 and 2007 diagnosed cases are subject to Standard 3.7. Rejected records or cases with edit errors must be corrected and resubmitted by July 31, 2011, to comply with Standard 3.7. If you think you will need an extension, see the information in the June CoC Flash at http://newsmanager.commpartners.com/acscoc/issues/2010-06-30/4.html.

Attend May Survey Savvy Workshop at NCRA

A one-day CoC Survey Savvy Workshop will be held Sunday, May 15, at the National Cancer Registrars Association’s (NCRA) 37th Educational Conference in Orlando/Lake Buena Vista, FL. This pre-conference workshop, New Standards Implementation: Delivering the Message to Your Team, will examine the new standards in depth. The workshop will provide participants with tools to facilitate implementation and enhanced performance with these standards. The new standards reinforce the CoC’s commitment to high-quality care for all cancer patients by establishing new criteria for patient-centered care and reinforcing the focus on patient outcomes.
Workshop Objectives:

Interpret the change and requirement for each standard.

Describe implementation strategies to address the standards.

Illustrate how the standards can be used to improve patient care and outcomes.

Communicate new methods to improve team involvement in the success of the cancer program.

Save-the-Date: Survey Savvy – Fall 2011

Due to popular demand, we have added a fall Survey Savvy Workshop on September 15-16, 2011 at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel & Spa in Hollywood, CA. The fall Workshop will feature education on the finalized standards for 2012. Please mark your calendars for this event. Registration is scheduled to open in June. Stay tuned to the CoC Flash for updates.

New ACS Prostate Cancer Guidelines Webinar

Learn about the new Prostate Cancer Early Detection Guidelines in our On-Demand Webinar, presented by Durado Brooks, MD, MPH, Director of Prostate and Colorectal Cancers at the American Cancer Society. In this Webinar, Dr. Brooks presents recent updates to the ACS guidelines and highlights potential benefits and limitations of early detection and treatment of prostate cancer.

This Webinar is recommended for primary care clinicians, radiation oncologists, urologists, and general surgeons who perform prostate surgery or provide prostate cancer screening.

Move to the Fast Track: Getting Your Cancer Program Ready for the RQRS Webinar

Enrollment in the voluntary Rapid Quality Reporting System (RQRS) will be opened to all CoC-accredited cancer programs in the spring of 2011. To learn more about RQRS, attend the Webinar: Move to the Fast Track: Getting Your Cancer Program Ready for the Rapid Quality Reporting System (RQRS). This one-hour Webinar, available On-Demand on April 19, will review how to enroll in this voluntary program, how to submit and update information on RQRS cases, best practices gathered from alpha and beta test participants on maintaining concurrent abstraction for RQRS cases, and the benefits and challenges to active participation in this novel system. This Webinar will benefit cancer programs which are considering enrolling or have recently enrolled in RQRS.

On-Demand Webinars Now Available

Visit the On-Demand section of the CoC Online Education Portal for any live programming that you may have missed in 2009, 2010, or thus far in 2011. On-Demand programs are available to you any time of the day or night, seven days a week. Each program is $50 and offers CE credit (or CME where noted in the program description).

2011 NAPBC Standards Manual NOW Available!

The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) Standards and Accreditation Committee has completed its work on 2011 NAPBC Standards Manual, which can be viewed on the NAPBC website at http://www.accreditedbreastcenters.org

NAPBC Workshop Schedule - Spring 2011

The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) workshops seek to raise awareness of the value of NAPBC accreditation to your breast center. Workshops are designed for individuals involved in the daily delivery of multidisciplinary breast health care, including physicians, nurses, administrators, cancer registry professionals, and others involved in the breast center operations.

During the workshop, the NAPBC faculty will assist you in understanding the multidisciplinary requirements as defined in the components and standards, and knowing what needs to be in place when you apply for NAPBC accreditation.

Past participants have found the workshops extremely helpful in clarifying the program structure, understanding the program components, standards, and survey process, and realizing the benefits of accreditation. Upcoming workshops will include detailed information about changes made to several of the standards included in the 2011 NAPBC Standards Manual.

Date

Workshop Detail

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Full-day workshop held in conjunction with the
National Cancer Registrars’ Association Annual Meeting at Disney's
Coronado Springs Resort., Orlando, FL

Registration for this workshop is through the
National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA), and the deadline to register is April 15, 2011. Space is limited so register today. For
information and registration, log on to NCRA’s Web site at: http://www.ncra-usa.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=3303

Watch for information regarding a workshop being organized for November 2011 which will be held at the American College of Surgeons headquarters in Chicago, IL.

Understanding NAPBC Components and Standards Webinar

Learn more about the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) components and standards, including changes to several recently added standards, by registering for the NAPBC Components and Standards Webinar scheduled for Tuesday, May 24, 2011, from 9–10 am (CDT). This Webinar will introduce new programs to the NAPBC components and the requirements outlined in each NAPBC standard. It will also provide NAPBC-accredited centers with new information related to changes made to the NAPBC standards and reflected in the 2011 NAPBC Standards Manual. There is a $50 registration fee.

Those attending these meetings can ask questions and pick up an NAPBC Information Kit at the exhibit and see Ms. Burgin or Ms. Granville. To learn more about the NAPBC, visit http://www.accreditedbreastcenters.org, e-mail napbc@facs.org, or call 312-202-5185.

Facts about the Certified Tumor Registrar Credential

The Council on Certification of National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA) has prepared a fact sheet about the Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR®) credential, the CTR exam, and eligibility. With this increased knowledge, you can determine how current staff can earn the credential for compliance with Commission on Cancer’s Program Standards. NCRA’s certification board – the Council on Certification – develops and administers the CTR exam. The CTR credential demonstrates a requisite knowledge and professional competence within the cancer registry. The credential, first offered by NCRA in 1983, is nationally recognized in the recruitment and retention of registry personnel. Over 5,000 individuals have attained the CTR credential. For additional information about credential requirements and the exam, visit the NCRA website at http://www.ncra-usa.org/CTRprimer, which provides access to a pdf file.

American Cancer Society Launches New Blog

Expert Voices to feature Society staff, volunteers, and others

ATLANTA –March 17, 2011– The American Cancer Society is launching a new resource to provide credible insight on cancer topics in easy-to-understand language. The American Cancer Society “Expert Voices” blog, available at www.cancer.org/expertvoices, will provide quality, timely cancer and health-related information from the experts of the American Cancer Society, as well as other knowledgeable clinicians, researchers, and authors.

“The goal of Expert Voices is to address emerging topics in cancer while also giving American Cancer Society staff and others a forum to interact directly with the public, and more broadly share their expertise,” said Terry Music, chief mission officer for the American Cancer Society. “We also hope it will increase the ongoing dialog between the American Cancer Society and the public.” Expert Voices postings, which will be updated at least once a week, are chosen based on the news cycle, interesting information coming out of the scientific community, and questions from the public that come to us via our various communications channels.

A Message from the Chair of the Breast Cancer Symposium Program Committee

The centerpiece of SNM Center for Molecular Imaging Innovation and Translation (CMIIT) annual activities, (formerly the Molecular Imaging Center of Excellence) is a multi-modality molecular imaging symposium at the National Institutes of Health. This year, CMIIT is sponsoring “Breast Cancer Imaging and Treatment: State of the Art” to be presented April 21-22 at the Natcher Auditorium on the National Insitutes of Health campus in Bethesda, MD.

Our program committee includes Jason Lewis, MD; David Mankoff, MD, PhD; and Sandra Swain, MD, Together we have designed a two-day symposium that brings together individuals from multiple clinical and scientific disciplines associated with the diagnosis, staging, and treatment of patients with breast cancer. Specifically, the conference will address the need for synergism between diagnostic radiology and molecular imaging as applied to the care of breast cancer patients.

The speaker roster includes expert diagnostic radiologists, molecular imaging physicians and scientists, medical oncologists, surgeons, economists, and radiation oncologists. During the two-day meeting, we will review the current state of imaging in breast cancer, from the screening mammography controversy and advanced screening technology to local and distant staging and response to treatment. Breast cancer diagnosis and staging have been primarily the realm of diagnostic radiology, but with mammography, ultrasound, MRI, and CT scans, the importance of molecular imaging is increasing, and this symposium will address the integration of these previously separate disciplines. There will be lectures by clinical experts caring for breast cancer patients regarding local and systemic treatment admixed with the imaging lectures. These lectures will emphasize the role of molecular imaging in conjunction with radiology in enabling better treatment selection and evaluation and, importantly the ideal approach to assessing response to treatment. Timely topics on the agenda are cost effectiveness and radiation risk. Finally there will be a look into the future of molecular imaging in breast cancer and the potential of personalized, targeted care. The abstracts from our poster presenters can be found in the back of the current issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Part of the formula for these meetings is the participation of patient groups and other societies active in the respective areas and so far we are proud that the Society of Radiopharmaceutical Sciences, the Academy of Molecular Imaging, the Society for Molecular Imaging, the Radiological Society of North America, Hadassah, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the Society of Women’s Health Research, and the Cancer Support Community have joined us in supporting this meeting.

Our meeting coincides with the spring cherry blossom season in Washington, and I hope you will consider bringing your family with you to our nation’s capital. Please visit our website for additional information at http://www.snm.org/breast2011. I look forward to seeing you there!

Fourth International Symposium on Cancer Metastasis and the Lymphovascular System: Basis for Rational Therapy

The Fourth International Symposium on Cancer Metastasis and the Lymphovascular System: Basis for Rational Therapy (http://www.cancermets.org)—May 12-14, 2011 at the InterContinental New York Barclay Hotel in New York City—will offer an extensive CME-program detailing the latest discoveries about the mechanisms of cancer metastasis and updating cutting-edge results from clinical trials. Biomarkers and their diagnostic and prognostic applications in metastatic cancer and their usefulness in molecular targeted therapy are a major focus, according to Symposium chairman Stanley P.L. Leong, MD, FACS, president of the Sentinel Node Oncology Foundation and chief of Cutaneous Oncology, and associate director of the Melanoma Program at California Pacific Medical Center, in San Francisco.

Sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the Arizona Cancer Center, the Sentinel Node Oncology Foundation, AiM at Melanoma, and Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation, the Fourth International Symposium on Cancer Metastasis is designed to meet the educational needs of physicians and researchers involved in all oncology disciplines and subspecialties, including medical, surgical, and radiation oncologists; pathologists; and other translational-oriented laboratory scientists. Highlights include four mini-symposia: (1) New Paradigms of Cancer Treatment Based on Recent Results from the Sentinel Lymph Node Trials, including Armando Giuliano, MD, FACS; Monica Morrow, MD, FACS; and Donald Morton, MD, FACS; (2) Breast Cancer Update 2011, including Hope Rugo, MD; William Gradishar, MD; and Clifford Hudis, MD.; (3) Progression of Metastatic Melanoma: Implications for Treatment, including John Kirkwood, MD; Steven O’Day, MD; Dave Hoon, PhD; and Alexander Eggermont, MD, PhD; and 4) Meeting the Biologic Challenge of Colorectal Metastases, including Phillip Paty, MD; Nancy Kemeny, MD; and Michael D’Angelica, MD). The program includes cash awards for the five best metastasis-related abstracts submitted by young Investigators (under age 40) and Trainees (residents, fellows, or students). Authors of the three best abstracts submitted by General Attendees (investigators over 40, physicians who are not residents or fellows) will present their work. but with no cash award. To register or for more information, visit http://www.cancermets.org or call Paradigm Medical Communications, the Symposium’s ACCME-accredited CME-provider, at 845-398-5100, ext. 20.

George Washington Cancer Institute's Center for the Advancement of Cancer Survivorship, Navigation and Policy (caSNP)

WHAT: The George Washington Cancer Institute's Center for the Advancement of Cancer Survivorship, Navigation and Policy (caSNP) is hosting its second Executive Training on Navigation and Survivorship: Finding Your Patient Focus. This two-day executive training program will equip decision-makers and program leaders with the tools needed to launch and sustain navigation and survivorship programs, two cornerstones of patient-centered cancer care. Participants will learn strategic planning techniques for developing, implementing, evaluating and sustaining patient navigation and survivorship programs. The training will combine distance-learning and traditional classroom instruction to fully maximize participants’ time. Participants will engage in a Webinar discussion that will lay the foundation for skill development during the two-day training. At the conclusion, participants will walk away with a business plan for either a survivorship or patient navigation program that will enhance the patient focus of their organization. For more information about the training please visit: http://www.gwumc.edu/caSNP/education.html

WHO: Clinicians, administrators and staff of institutions that provide care to cancer patients and survivors.

REGISTRATION: Registration is limited, so we encourage interested individuals to sign up early. There are also partial scholarship opportunities available to assist small community-based organizations who are unable to pay the entire registration fee. Attached you will find a flyer with information about the training and more will be posted to http://www.gwumc.edu/caSNP/education.html

NCRA News

National Cancer Registrars Week
April 11-15, 2011
Honoring the Central Role of Cancer Registrars in the Nation’s Cancer Prevention, Treatment and Research Programs

Cancer registrars worldwide will join their colleagues, community leaders, and other medical professionals to observe the 15th annual National Cancer Registrars Week (NCRW), April 11-15, 2011. The 2011 theme, Cancer Registrars Pave the Way to a Cure, reflects cancer registrars’ role in compiling the critical information that supports effective cancer treatment and research, with the ultimate goals of prevention and finding a cure.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The Commission on Cancer regularly collaborates with over 50 member organizations in its mission to provide quality cancer care. This month we introduce the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a leader in nationwide efforts to ease the burden of cancer. Through the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control (DCPC), CDC works with national cancer control, state, tribal, and local health agencies, and other key groups to develop, implement, and promote effective strategies for preventing and controlling cancer. DCPC provides funding and technical support for state cancer registries, comprehensive cancer control programs (state and tribal cancer planning and implementation), and breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening programs for low income, uninsured and medically underserved individuals. DCPC conducts epidemiologic studies and applied research that is communicated to healthcare providers and the public to help them better understand factors that increase cancer risk and opportunities to prevent cancer.

The national cancer prevention and control programs currently funded by CDC include: The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program; The National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program; The Colorectal Cancer Control Program; and The National Program of Cancer Registries. In addition, the Division supports a number of mass mediated communication campaigns designed to meet public and health care provider information needs across the cancer continuum.

Event Information:
CDC will host the 2012 Cancer Conference in collaboration with other leaders in the field of Public Health. The conference will be held at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta located at 100 CNN Center Atlanta, GA, 30303. All sessions will take place at the hotel over a period of three days, February 13-16, 2012. The conference will include keynote speakers, invited plenary and topic presentations, abstracts and posters, all geared to address surveillance, prevention, early detection, treatment, rehabilitation, palliation, policy, communications and education, and program planning issues as relates to selected cancers and to comprehensive approaches to cancer prevention and control.

Recent Publications and/or Products:
A detailed description of the CDC Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, their partnerships, programs, scientists, research and recent publications can be found on their Web site: http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/

National Cancer Registrar’s Association

The Commission on Cancer regularly collaborates with over 50 member organizations in its mission to provide quality cancer care. This month we introduce the National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA).

NCRA is a not-for-profit association representing cancer registry professionals and Certified Tumor Registrars (CTR). NCRA's primary focus is education and certification with the goal to ensure all cancer registry professionals have the required knowledge to be superior in their field. Worldwide, there are over 5,000 NCRA members and CTRs. Through various committees and affiliations with standard setting organizations, NCRA continues its mission and vision to serve as the premier education, credentialing and advocacy resource for cancer data professionals to improve lives through quality cancer data management.

Cancer registrars throughout the United States and abroad will join their colleagues, community leaders, and other medical professionals to observe the 15th annual National Cancer Registrars Week (NCRW), April 11-15, 2011. The 2011 theme, Cancer Registrars Pave the Way to a Cure, reflects cancer registrars’ role in compiling the critical information needed to support effective cancer treatment and research, with the ultimate goal of preventing cancer and finding a cure. The data is included in numerous publications including the Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, a collaboration of the American Cancer Society, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Cancer Institute, and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries.

National Society of Genetic Counselors

The Commission on Cancer regularly collaborates with over 50 member organizations in its mission to provide quality cancer care. This month we introduce the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC).

The NSGC was incorporated in 1979.

The Society's Vision: Integrating genetics and genomics to improve health for all.

The Society's Mission: The National Society of Genetic Counselors advances the various roles of genetic counselors in health care by fostering education, research, and public policy to ensure the availability of quality genetic services. NSGC is currently led by President Karin Dent, MS, LCGC from the University of Utah, and governed by a twelve-member Board of Directors, with support from various Committees, Task Forces, and Special Interest Groups (SIGs).

NSGC promotes the professional interests of genetic counselors and provides a network for professional communications. Local and national continuing education opportunities and the discussion of all issues relevant to human genetics and the genetic counseling profession are an integral part of belonging to the NSGC.

NSGC’s current strategic initiatives are focused on increasing access to genetic counseling services through outreach and collaboration with physicians and other healthcare providers and advocacy and education with payers. NSGC is also committed to preparing and equipping our members with the knowledge and tools to proactively navigate the upcoming changes in the healthcare system and in genetics/genomics.

NSGC’s membership specializes in many different specialty areas and practice settings, providing support and genetic services to patients, physicians and other healthcare providers. The diversity of practice areas is evident in NSGC’s growing number of official special interest groups (SIGs), currently numbered at twenty. The largest of NSGC’s SIGs is the Familial Cancer Risk Counseling SIG (aka “The Cancer SIG”). The Cancer SIG is led this year by Jessica Everett, MS, CGC from the University of Michigan and Brittany Thomas, MS, CGC from the Mayo Clinic. The Cancer SIG specifically promotes communication between providers and affiliates of cancer genetic counseling services for the purpose of advancing the field of cancer genetic counseling.

Event Information:
NSGC’s primary education event is the Annual Education Conference (AEC), held each year in the fall. The 2011 AEC is scheduled for October 27 - 30 in San Diego, CA at the San Diego Marriott. Immediately preceding the AEC on October 26 is a day of Preconference Symposia. The Preconference Symposia are six, six-hour sessions on a specific topic, one being cancer-focused. This year’s cancer related Preconference Symposium involves pharmacogenetics, featuring a panel of experts within the field of Cancer Genetics. In addition, several educational break-out sessions at this year’s AEC will feature relevant hereditary cancer topics including Hereditary Diffuse Gastric Cancer, SNP-based Testing and Cancer Genetics, Prostate Cancer Genetics, and Fertility Issues related to Cancer.

NSGC also hosts a variety of year-round educational opportunities offered online. An online course is made available each summer and webinars are held throughout the year on various topics of interest to genetic counselors. Additional online courses on coding, cultural competence and clinical trials management are also available through NSGC.

Recent Publications and/or Products:
Several members of NSGC are actively involved in creating and maintaining Practice Guidelines, some of which involve collaborative efforts between NSGC and other organizations. Practice Guidelines for genetic cancer risk assessment and counseling, in collaboration with ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology) and ACMG (American College of Medical Genetics), are currently undergoing revisions and new Practice Guidelines regarding the evaluation and management for Lynch syndrome, in collaboration with CGA-ICC (Collaborative Group of the Americas on Inherited Colon Cancer), are in the final stages of development.

In addition the Cancer SIG published a document called, Practice Resources for Starting, Expanding, and Supporting a Cancer Genetics Program. Other helpful resources and publications are also available on the NSGC website: www.nsgc.org.

The National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program and the Applied Research Program

The National Cancer Institute’s Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences includes the Surveillance Research Program (SRP) and the Applied Research Program (ARP). One of the primary responsibilities of the SRP is the operation of the SEER Program. The SEER Program collects and publishes data from cancer registries covering 28 percent of the US population. SEER registries routinely collect data on patient demographics, tumor morphology, stage at diagnosis, first course of treatment, follow-up for vital status, and other related variables, which are used by researchers, clinicians, and the public. SEER provides training and education that is helpful to registrars seeking credentialing, and also leads workshops that provide advanced training in data collection and coding. SEER works with its surveillance partners to achieve data content and compatibility acceptable for pooling data and improving national estimates. Use of surveillance data for research is being improved through Web-based access to the data and analytic tools, and linking with other national data sources. Examples of SEER-specific data and resources available via the web include its Public Use Research Files and online bibliography. There are currently over 6 million records in the SEER database and almost 7,000 entries in the searchable bibliography.

ARP’s mission is to understand how and why cancer care and control activities in the United States influence patterns of care and trends in cancer incidence, morbidity, mortality and survival. A significant activity within ARP is the creation and maintenance of the SEER-Medicare database, the result of the biennial linkage of SEER data with Medicare enrollment and claims data. The database currently contains 1.6 million SEER patients found to be eligible for the Medicare. The Medicare claims include all covered services: hospitalizations, physician visits, outpatient clinic services, prescription drugs, and home health and hospice services. The data are longitudinal, allowing investigators to conduct studies on screening prior to a cancer diagnosis; patterns of care during the initial period of diagnosis and treatment; surveillance following diagnosis; and end- of-life care. The SEER-Medicare data can also be used to assess health disparities and the costs of cancer treatment. To date, there have been over 580 publications based on these data. A 2-day training course is offered annually and archives of training classes are available online.

Recent Publications and/or Products:
The SEER Program has recently issued the following publications and resources:
• Kohler, AB, Ward, E, McCarthy, JB, et al. Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 1975-2007, Featuring Tumors of the Brain and Other Nervous System, The Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI) (in press).